Clothespin



H. O. wooDs Jan. 2, 1940.

CLOTHESPIN Filed Nov. 21, 1958 HULLA/vn j WU Patented Jan. 2, IMO

l UNITED jsTATEs PATENT ori-ICEv CLOTHESPIN Holland L0. Woods, Jackson,Mich. Application November 21, A1938, Serial No. 241,583

6 Claims. This invention relates to clothespins and more particularly tometal clothespins particularly' adapted for use on delicate fabrics,such as silk stockings and the like.

d The ordinary wood clothespin is highly unsatisfactory for delicatefabrics suchy as silk, stockings and the like for the reason that therough surfaces thereof frequently catch and tear the fabric. The presentinvention contemplates the lil use of a smooth. metal clothespin, whichmay be v used without danger of harm to the most delicate of fabrics.

yAn object of the invention isto provide a smooth surfaced metalclothespin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring metal clothespinhaving an auxiliary springto supplement the inherent resiliency -of thepin and to provide at the same time ahand grip and a. stop for.limiting' the distance between go the arms of the pin that an object maypass.

A further object of the invention is to provide Fig. 2 is an edgeelevation o f the form of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line'lII--III of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of theA form of Fig. 1, in use, Fig. 5discloses another form that the invention may take, and l Fig. 6discloses still another form that the invention may take.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I indicates a returnbent metal strip having a concave cross-section, as disclosedparticularly in Fig. 3, throughout the entire length thereof with theexception of the outwardly flaring free ends 2 and 3, at which portionsthe strip is substantially flat. .While I find that the cross-sectionalform of'the invention shown in Fig. 3 is very satisfactory, it will beclear that other cross-sectional forms may be used. In A the pin at aplace between the ends thereof is a transverse opening I extendingthrough both legs of the pin. Disposed in the opening I is a spring'wirev ring 5, which is split and has the split ends thereof bearingagainst the outside of the pin at points 6 and 1. It will be understoodthat the' split ring ,6 supplements the inherent (Cl. 24-13'7lresiliency of the strip I. Furthermore, Wit will be seen that the ring 5provides at the portions thereof at outside of the pin a hand Blip, aswill be clear from Fig. 4, to prevent the fingers of a user of the pinfrom slipping downwardly over 5 the pin when applyingit' to a' garmentor the like on a clothesline.. Furthermorathe portion 8 of the ring 5between th legs of the pin provides a 'stop to limit thedistanceinwardly between the legs which an object such'as a clothes-I10line with a garment thereon may travel.

In Fig. 5 another form that the invention may take is disclosedwhich isparticularly adaptable Where a pin of greater resiliency is desired. Intins form o f the invention the resilient spring w strip Ill of concavecrosssection is provided with an opening'II therethrough correspondingto the .opening 4, the opening II, however, being-disposed considerablyfurther inwardly from the outwardly flaring free ends I2 and I3 of the20 strip Illthan in the form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1. Asplit' ring I corresponding to the ring 5 of Fig. 1 is disposed in theopening II and has lthe free ends thereof bearing against the outside ofthe pin at points I5 and I6. Should 25 it. be desired to convert theform of the invention disclosed in Fig. 3 into a more stiff form, thering I4 may be moved to the position shown 'in dotted outline in Fig. 3,thereby being effective adjacent the free ends I2 and I3 of the 30-strip Il). e

- In Fig. 6 still anotherform of the invention is disclosed. i This formis similar to the form disclosed in Fig. 1 except that the auxiliaryspring ring bears againstthe outside of the pin adjacent 's the freeends thereof rather than adjacent the closed end thereof. As in theother forms of the invention, the pin comprises a strip 20 of springmetal of concavoconvex cross-section, the strip at the freeend portions2l and 22 thereof 40 aringoutwardly A split ring/. 23 is disposed in atransverse opening 24 through 'the legs of the strip 20 and has Vthesplit ends thereof bearing against the outside' ofthe pin at points 25and 26 adjacent the free ends 2l and 22.v 45

. In comparing the forms of the invention dis- ClIJSed in Figs. land 4,for instance, it will be observed that the stop provided by theresilient" ring 23 is positioned considerably further inwardly fromV thefree ends 2l and 22 than the corre- 50 spending free ends of the-pindisposed in'Fig. 1; -In each of the forms of the invention, the `freeends of the split ring supplementing the inherent resiliency of thestrip are disposed in the concave or channel portion of the strip, asdisclosed par- 55 the spring strip and the resilient split ring be ofstainless steel, it will be understood that any suitable spring metalmaybe employed.

Having thus described my.,invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent and claim is:

1. A clothespin, comprising a return bent strip of springmetal, said pinhaving an opening therev through between its'ends, and a split ringdisposed through said opening and having the split ends thereofseparated and bearing against the outer sides of said pin to supplementthe inherent resiliency of said strip.

2. A clothespin, comprising a return bent strip of spring metal, saidstrip having a channeled cross-section throughout a substantial portionof its length, said pin having an opening extending therethrough betweenits ends, and a split resilient ring disposed through said opening andhaving the split ends thereof spaced and bearing against the .oppositesides of said pin to supplement the inherent resiliency of said pin,said ends of said split ring being disposed in the channels of saidstrip. Y

3. A. clothespin, comprisingfa return bent strip of spring metal, saidstrip having a, concave crosssection throughout a substantial portion ofits length, and resilient means projecting irorn opposite sides of saidpin and bearing against the same to supplement the inherent resiliencyof said strip and to provide a hand grip on`the surface of the pin.

4. A clothespin, comprising a return bent strip of spring metal, saidstrip having an lopening therethrough between its ends, and a split ringsaid split bearing against the opposite sides' of said pin to supplementthe inherent resiliency of said strip, said-opening being so disposedwith respect to the free end of said pin as to position the ringtherethrough to provide a stop spaced from the free ends of said strip.

5. A clothespin, comprising a return bent strip of spring metal, saidstrip having a channeled cross-section throughout a substantial portionoi' its length, said pin having an opening therethrough between the endsthereof, and a split resilient ring disposed in said opening and havingthe free ends thereof bearing against the opposite sides of said pin tosupplement the inherent resiliency of said strip, the free ends of saidring being disposed in the channels of said strip, said opening beingdisposed inwardly from the i'ree ends of said -strip to position saidring to provide a stop spaced from the free ends of said strip, saidring providing a hand grip on the outside of said pin.

6. A clothespin comprising a return bent strip of spring metal, saidstrip having a concave crosssection 'throughout a portion of its length,the return bent lportionsI thereof being inclined toward each othertoward their outer ends, and their outer ends being ared outwardly,whereby an object to be associated with said clothespin is directedbetween said return bent portions by said outwardlyiiared ends, andlhaving passed said outwardly ilared ends, is'urged inwardly by saidinclined portions and restrained against separating movement iwithrespect to said clothespin, and auxiliary spring means associatedwith`said strip for supplementing the inherent resiliency strip. l lHOLLAND O. WOODS.

of said

